Tag Archives: exclusive
Middle East is ripe for aviation investment
The Middle East has the most potential when it comes to aviation investment, a new survey has suggested.Conducted by Airport Show ahead of next month's inaugural Global Airport Leaders' Forum, the study sought to find out which parts of the world have the brightest future in air travel.It emerged that 64.4 per cent of the respondents felt the Middle East was the best place to invest, making the region an emphatic overall winner. The next most popular area was Asia-Pacific, which only amassed 16.7 per cent of the vote.Experts predict that US$90 billion (AED 330.5 billion) will be pumped into the Middle Eastern aviation sector by 2020 and up to 400 million passengers will fly into and out of this part of the world every year by this point.”Senior executives from across the international aviation industry have contributed to the survey and we believe the survey results will contribute significantly to the important discussions at the Global Airport Leaders' Forum and help highlight the key challenges and opportunities industry leaders face today,” commented Daniyal Qureshi, event director of the Airport Show.Unsurprisingly, Dubai is central to the Middle East's expansion plans and the city is expected to accommodate just under a quarter of the region's air traffic by the end of the decade.Dubai International Airport officially became the second-busiest aviation hub on the planet last month, behind only London's Heathrow.The facility has recently been expanded and has a capacity of 75 million passengers a year – up from 60 million in 2012.Around 66 million people are expected to use the complex in 2013 and this figure will go up and up as the years pass by.To help take some of the strain off the main airport, services will be launched at Dubai World Central Airport from October this year for the first time.The passenger terminal was finished in 2012 and it has room for up to seven million people each year. Continue reading
Fashion Forward event to take place in Dubai
The highly-anticipated Fashion Forward event is set to take place in Dubai later this month and organisers are hopeful that the show will enhance the city's status as hub for designer clothing.Held at the Madinat Jumeirah between April 26th and 29th, this is the first time the fashion extravaganza has been held in the UAE and it is set to become a bi-annual occasion.Chief executive officer and creative director of Fashion Forward Bong Guerrero said that 35 buyers have confirmed their attendance so far, tabloid! reports.”It's about time that this region gets a fashion platform such as this. This is an event which aims to provide a definitive movement to foster growth for designers in the Middle East,” he was quoted as saying.Some major international names are expected to head to the Gulf for the event, including New York-based Fashion Institute Of Technology, which has produced renowned brands such as Calvin Klein.A selection of the UAE's best designers like Essa, Ayesha Depala, Furne One and Michael Cinco will also be on hand to showcase their latest collections.Up to 18 different shows will go ahead throughout the four-day event and Mr Guerrero is hoping that some lesser-known designers will earn some recognition.”There's a lot of promising designers out there. This is our first season and it will be a true reflection of our Middle Eastern landscape,” he added.Although Dubai fashion events perhaps do not have the same appeal as major shows in New York, Paris and Milan, there is no doubt that the city is steadily emerging as a hotspot for designer apparel.The emirate has the biggest malls on the planet and it boasts a range of upmarket boutiques that are highly popular among the many celebrities who visit Dubai each year.A number of top brands have set up stores in the area and recent reports suggested that Abercrombie & Fitch will be the latest firm to target the Middle Eastern market. Continue reading
Famous players want to come to Dubai, says Sven-Goran Eriksson
Sven-Goran Eriksson has claimed that a number of “rather famous players” are keen to join him at Dubai-based club Al Nasr.The former coach of the England national team said a crop of high-profile footballers have expressed an interest in plying their trade in the UAE Pro League.”Many of them are over 30 and a little bit more, but they are big names, so we'll see. The money is here, of course it is,” Eriksson remarked.He added that each team in the UAE Pro League are allowed to recruit four foreigners and the 64-year-old Swede – who is employed as a technical director at Al Nasr – thinks the club will be able to free up some space for a few star players.Eriksson added that he attempted to lure David Beckham to the club before he signed a short-term deal with Paris Saint Germain.Another player who has been linked with a move to the UAE is Chelsea captain John Terry, but Eriksson does not think this will happen.”If he would like to come, yes I would take him of course, but I don't think he will come. In fact, I would be very surprised if he leaves Chelsea,” he added.With beautiful weather, gorgeous beaches, a plethora of designer boutiques, gourmet restaurants, swanky nightclubs and expensive villas, it is easy to see why mega-rich footballers would be tempted to wind down their career in Dubai.The emirate is a popular holiday hotspot among professional players and some of the most talented individuals ever to grace the game have been seen soaking up the Middle Eastern sun in recent weeks.Former Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Portugal superstar Luis Figo is the latest famous face to enjoy a relaxing break in Dubai.He was met at the airport by Hamad Bin Mejren, executive director of business tourism at Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, who was delighted to welcome Figo to the UAE. Continue reading
